1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to bumpers for absorbing shock and preventing damage to vehicles on which they are attached, but more specifically the present invention relates to a tactile bumper for detecting the impact, in an improved manner, to any portion of a vehicle (for example, a mobile robot or platform) on which it is attached.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Apparatuses such as tactile bumpers for obtaining tactile sensory information from the perimeters of associated autonomous mobile robots or platforms, for the purpose of impact detection and collision avoidance, are well known in the prior art. The prior art tactile bumpers for accomplishing the foregoing generally consist of independent and discrete elements arranged in a discontinuous fashion around the mobile robot or platform being protected. One such prior art tactile bumper employs, inter alia, a plurality of hinged plates uniformly distributed around a circular base. The plurality of hinged plates are arranged in such a fashion that an inward force on any given one thereof will cause activation of a corresponding one of a plurality of spring-loaded momentary switches, each being mounted behind its corresponding hinged plate. The principal disadvantages arising form the foregoing configuration are the discontinuities between the individual hinged plates and the inability of the hinged plates, due to their constrained motion, to adequately respond to oblique impacts. Consequently, there is a need in the prior art to configure a tactile bumper to have the capability of continuous detection with no discontinuities. A corollary need in the prior art is to configure the tactile bumper to detect an impact from any angle in a plane horizontal thereto.
Another prior art tactile bumper employes a plurality of spring-loaded contact bars, each being disposed end-to-end, and in some cases, in an overlapping fashion at the corners of the associated mobile robot or platform. This prior art tactile bumper suffers to an even greater degree from the problems associated with the first mentioned prior art tactile bumpers, in that it reacts poorly to contact forces that are not normal to the surface of the particular one of the spring-loaded contact bars being employed. In addition, the plurality of spring-loaded contact bars can snag on obstructions that impact at the discontinuities between adjacent ones of thereof. This severely limits the functional reliability of any system in which this tactile bumper is used. In fact, this tactile bumper can cause damage to the vehicle in which it is used and/or the object encountered. Hence, there is a need in the prior art to configure a tactile bumper to be smooth and continuous, and to detect impact, in an improved manner, from any direction to any portion of the vehicle's circumference, but yet be free from discontinuities that could catch on surroundings. There is an additional need in the prior art to configure the tactile bumper to include a floating member to perform the impact sensing function with substantially no contraints on its motion.
The prior art, as indicated hereinabove, include some advancements in tactile bumpers for impact detection and collision avoidance. However, insofar as can be determined, no prior art tactile bumper incorporates all of the features and advantages of the present invention.